High Impact Science: Innovations in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation-High Impact Science: Innovations in Atrial Fibrillation Ablation

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Video Summary

The Heart Rhythm Society's 46th annual meeting in San Diego featured a session showcasing innovative research on atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation techniques. Dr. Cara Pellegrini and Dr. Samir Saba chaired the session, which highlighted the latest scientific advancements in atrial fibrillation treatment.<br /><br />Dr. Monica Lowe presented findings from the VOLT-AF IDE trial, focusing on a novel balloon-based pulsed field ablation (PFA) catheter. This technology demonstrated high acute safety and effectiveness in treating paroxysmal and persistent AF. The study reported an acute effectiveness of over 99% for paroxysmal AF and 99% for persistent AF, with a primary safety event rate of 1.9%.<br /><br />Other notable presentations included Dr. Vivek Reddy's SPHERE trial, exploring a conformal single-shot PFA catheter, which showcased 98% durable pulmonary vein isolation and promising 12-month freedom from arrhythmic recurrence rates, supported by continuous monitoring data. Dr. Wenzhen Chen's randomized controlled trial found that adding superior vena cava (SVC) isolation to pulmonary vein isolation (PVI) did not significantly enhance freedom from atrial arrhythmia but suggested potential benefits in female patients.<br /><br />Further discussions included the Argometa PFA platform presented by Dr. Ante Anić, emphasizing the versatility of its catheter capable of circular, linear, and focal ablations, and the study's robust safety and efficacy findings. Finally, Dr. Prash Sanders reviewed the long-term data from the Volt CE Mark study, highlighting the durable lesion outcomes of PVI-only strategy, with success rates of 83.5% for paroxysmal AF and 58.1% for persistent AF.<br /><br />The session underscored the promising advancements in PFA technologies, emphasizing safety, effectiveness, and workflow efficiencies, while noting areas for future exploration and clinical application.

Keywords

Heart Rhythm Society

atrial fibrillation

ablation techniques

pulsed field ablation

VOLT-AF IDE trial

SPHERE trial

pulmonary vein isolation

superior vena cava isolation

Argometa PFA platform

clinical application